Yemeni tribesmen kidnap 2 Egyptian technicians

SANAA, Yemen 
A Yemeni security official says tribal gunmen have kidnapped two Egyptian technicians working in a cement factory in the south.

The official said the tribesmen abducted the two on Monday in Abyan province and took them to an unknown destination at gunpoint.

The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity according to regulations, said authorities are trying to find out the identity of the kidnappers and if there were any demands. He said he could not reveal the names of the Egyptians.

Kidnapping of foreigners by tribesmen is frequent in Yemen, where hostages are used as bargaining chips to secure the release of Yemeni prisoners or to get cash. But in rare cases, the kidnappers sell their captives to al-Qaida, which then ransoms them.